Tomb Raiders: The Legacy of Lara Croft
by All My Friends Are Heathens
Summary: Lara Croft has decided that she needs new minds to work with/for her and eventually take over the business of responsible tomb raiding, since she won't be able to do it forever. She recruits the best of the best from a worldwide pool of at-risk youth. Eventually, an old enemy rears her head with agents of her own. Lara Croft & Non/Disney characters.
1. Prologue - The Raider Files

"Winston?"

"Yes, Lara?" The kind old butler asked as he set a tea tray on her desk.

She was looking out the window of her office (formerly her father's office), studying the night sky with thoughtful brown eyes. It had been a few years since she'd put down the Atlantean Queen, Natla; a few years since she'd last seen Amanda, though she didn't doubt that the blonde was still bound to stir up trouble. But Lara's paranoia had melted away over time, and though there were still a lot of questions left unanswered, and still more questions about the future, she had found some peace. But one thing was for sure: her age was beginning to creep up on her. She was nearing forty years old, and although she was still in fantastic shape and still incredibly sharp-witted, critical and alert, she knew the years would just pass faster and faster, and she wouldn't be able to continue the tomb raiding gig for long.

She needed assistance.

"Have Zip look into all the databases around the globe and search for orphaned children." Lara turned to him with a characteristic smirk.

Winston lifted an eyebrow. "Orphans, Lara?"

"Yes...Actually, not just the orphans. Look into all at-risk youth that seem promising. I need to find worthy candidates for the business, and I need them quickly. Also, I need flights on standby."

Winston was slowly catching on to what Lara Croft was saying and sighed. "Are you sure this is such a good idea, Lara?"

She gave him an innocent look. "Of course!"

He smirked. "So... We're starting an agency, then?" He supposed it was only a matter of time. Lara really couldn't go on like this forever, and if there was one person to properly train and educate future raiders, it was her. It would just be irresponsible to leave it up to anyone else.

She grinned and looked back out the window. "Oh, I wouldn't call it an agency. More like..." She thought about it for a moment, then chuckled. "I'd call it a family business."

_Ten Years Later..._

**RAIDER FILES**

**Ariel Serena Triton: **Height- 5'5", Weight- 108 pounds, Description- lean but strong, pale, blue-green eyes and crimson red hair (dyed); Specialty: Underwater exploration, preservation of ancient civilizations and artifacts, Temperament: Kind, funny, sweet, a little absent-minded, naturally curious and adventurous, throws caution to the wind and works well with others. Weapons of Choice: Trident, fishing spears, pistols. Found in: The Carribean.

**Megara Aleksandrya Celena: **Height- 5'7", Weight- 112 pounds, Description- lean and wiry, pale, purple eyes and brown hair, tattoos and piercings; Specialty: infiltration and "persuasion", Temperament: Sarcastic, fierce, impatient, protective, defensive, cynical, lone wolf type. Weapons of Choice: Pistols, assault rifles, hand grenades and sheild. Found in: Greece

**Kidagakash Nedakh: **Height- 5'9", Weight- 115 pounds, Description- lean and strong, lightly muscled, dark skin, blue eyes, white hair, tribal tattoos; Specialty: Exploration and preservation of ancient civilizations, medic, preservation of ancient cultures, linguist, Temperament: Curious, friendly, cautious, quick-witted and quick-footed, acrobatic and adventurous, works well with others, fit for any environment. Weapons of Choice: Hunting spear, throwing knifes and pistols. Found in: Iceland (Country of origin: Unknown). Strong case of amnesia.

**Pocahontas Adoette Powhatan: **Height: 6'1", Weight- 125 pounds, Description- tall, lean, statuesque, muscular, copper skin, brown eyes, black hair, tribal tattoo on upper right arm; Specialty: traversing foreign lands &amp; tomb exploration, camping, preserving ancient civilizations, cultures, and artifacts,Temperament: Adventurous, curious, thrill-seeker, patient, kind, caring, peaceful, thrives in nature, works well with others, at times stubborn, protective. Weapons of Choice: Hunting spear, dagger, pistols. Found in: Virginia, U.S.

**Fa Mulan: **Height: 5'6", Weight- 110 pounds, Description- lean and muscular, quick on her feet, pale skin, brown eyes, black hair; Specialty: Defense, preservation of ancient tombs and civilizations, infiltration and "persuasion", Temperament: Cautious, risk-taker, friendly, witty, quick thinker, fit, tomboy, protective, acrobat, soldier, spiritual, works well with others, at times clumsy. Weapons of Choice: Sword, daggers, pistols. Found in: China.

**Belle Amite Brunella: **Height- 5'8", Weight- 120 pounds, Description- lanky but slightly muscled, pale with hazel eyes and brown hair; Specialty: Book keeping, exploration and preservation of ancient civilizations, cultures and artifacts, Temperament: Kind, patient, caring, protective, intelligent, witty, helpful, focused, at times stubborn, works well with others. Weapons of Choice: Pistols. Found in: France.

**Esmeralda Angelica Armonie: **Height- 5'9", Weight- 117 pounds, Description- Lean but strong and muscular, quick, dark skin, green eyes, black hair; Specialty: infiltration and "persuasion", defense, illusions and escape, preservation of ancient theology, Temperament: Kind, caring, patient, righteous, helpful, justice-seeker, spiritual, protective, sly, quick-witted, athletic, fit, acrobatic, works well with others. Weapons of choice: Dagfers, throwing knives, granades, pistols. Found in: Paris, France, by accident. (Country of Origin: Italy.)

**Alice Pleasance Liddell: **Height- 5'4", Weight- 109 pounds, Description- Dainty, lithe, strong and quick, pale, blonde hair, blue eyes, piercings and tattoos; Specialty: Exploration of foreign and strange lands, survivalist, defense, preservation of ancient civilizations, Temperament: Curious, stubborn, adventurous, artistic, creative, expressive, at times rude and bratty, works better alone, witty. Weapons of Choice: Pistols, grenades, throwing knives. Found in: England.

**Merida Blaire Dunbroch: **Height- 5'6", Weight- 120 pounds, Description- Strong and muscular, pale skin, red hair, blue eyes, piercings; Specialty: Defense, infiltration and "persuasion", Temperament: Fierce, protective, stubborn, caring, curious, wild, adventurous, tomboy, rough, witty, works well (enough) with others, strong and tough. Weapons of Choice: Bow and arrows, crossbow, pistols, grenades. Found in: Scottland.

**Jasmine Altaira Amiera: **Height- 5'5", Weight- 105 pounds, Description- Dainty, lithe, strong, tan, brown eyes and black hair, tattoos; Specialty: Defense, exploration, preservation of ancient civilizations, cultures nd artifacts, Temperament: Caring, skeptical, stubborn, kind, witty, focused, intelligent, athletic, works well with others, protective, helpful, strong-willed, tough, kind. Weapons of Choice: Curved daggers, throwing knives, pistols. Found in: Arabia.

**Adelaide Aiglentine Aurore: **Height: 5'8", Weight- 119 pounds, Description- lean but strong, toned, pale with violet eyes and blonde hair, tattoo; Specialty: Infiltration, preservation of ancient civilizations and artifacts, defense, exploration of foreign lands, survivalist, Temperament: Kind, sweet, caring, patient, intelligent, quick-witted, lithe, persuasive, friendly, works well with others, cheerful, optimistic, lively, athletic. Weapons of Choice: Poisoned needles, pistols, rapier and shield. Found in: Germany. (Country of Origin: Most likely France.)

**Giselle Aoibheean Bowie: **Height- 5'7", Weight- 111 pounds, Description- lean but toned, pale, grey-blue eyes and auburn hair; Specialty: Infiltration, exploration, survivalist, Temperament: Kind, caring, patient, gentle, absent-minded, athletic, curious, adventurous, team player. Weapons of Choice: Pistols, Bowie knives, butterfly knives. Found in: Ireland. Strong case of amnesia.

**Chel: **Height- 5'5", Weight- 120 pounds, Description- strong, muscular, fit, quick, dark tan, brown eyes, black hair; Specialty: Retrieval, exploration of foreign lands, survivalist, exploration and preservation of ancient civilizations and artifacts, Temperament: Sly, witty, sarcastic, kind, caring, protective, lithe, sneaky, persuasive, works well with others. Weapons of Choice: Daggers, crossbow, pistols. Found in: Spain. (Country of Origin : Unknown.)

**Anya Stacie Zoya: **Height- 5'7", Weight- 117 pounds, Description- lean but strong, pale, blue eyes, dark red hair; Specialty: Defense, retrieval, "persuasion", exploration, Temperament: Witty, sarcastic, defensive, strong-willed, stubborn, caring, protective, works well with (most) others. Weapons of Choice: Pistols, assault rifles, grenades. Found in: Russia. Strong case of amnesia.

**OTHER RECRUITS:**

**Milo James Thatch**

**Tiana and Joshua Sweet**

**Cinderella Alese Tremaine**

**Snow White Grimhilde**

**Tarzan**

**Phillip Kingsley**

**Phoebus Calidan**

**John Smith**

**Clopin Armonie**

**Jane Porter**

**POLITICAL ALLIES**

**Charles Kingsley**

**Ferdinand Kingsley**

**Edward Kingsley**

**Naveen Maldon**

**Li Shang**

**Ichabod Crane**

**Dr. Delbert Doppler**

**Captain Amelia Strongbow**

**Preston B. Whitmore**


	2. The Pirates of the Carribean

Lara's heels clicked rhythmically against the marble floor as she strode purposefully toward Zip's computer room, her head held high and a typical smirk on her full lips. He saw her coming through his glass wall and smiled and nodded at her, then looked back at one of his many computers, at which he was sitting and typing furiously in concentration. Lara chuckled as she pushed through the door to enter.

"And you still don't have your suit on!" She teased him.

He rolled his eyes. "I don't see why _I _have to be interviewed. I'm strictly behind-the-scenes, remember?"

Lara grinned. "Because everyone in Britain wants to know about the genius who's teaching our at-risk students about state-of-the-art computer programming."

He scoffed. "None of these kids could pick up my skills in a lifetime of classes."

"Yes, but we must pretend for the cameras, dear. We need this cover to stay on as long as possible." She turned to leave.

"Never thought Winston would be able to talk you into that dress." Zip chortled.

"Just get ready, young man." Lara sighed as she left the room. As she was walking through the foyer, she spotted Tiana, her head chef, walking toward her and smiled at her. "Tiana! How's dinner coming along?"

"I've already got it started, Lady Croft." Tiana replied sweetly in her southern drawl. "Once Cindy and Snow finish cleaning up the manor, they'll be assisting me in the kitchen to make things more expedient. Snow's even offered to make some of her special apple pies."

Lara nodded and checked her watch. "Dinner at six, then?"

"On the dot." Tiana assured her.

"Excellent. And the girls will be very happy about the pie, I think. Kida and Ariel will be excited to have leftovers once they get home."

Tiana smiled and seemed like she was about to say something, but then there was the sound of a door slamming upstairs and two pairs of feet running through the corridor. Tiana and Lara both looked up to see two young women racing through the upstairs hall and shouting nonsensically at each other. Tiana giggled and left the room while Lara sighed and watched the girls chase each other down the stairs.

"Girls!" Lara called over the screaming, making the two go silent. "What is the problem here?"

"Alice borrowed my hairbrush without asking!" The lean auburn-haired girl cried unhappily.

Alice, the dainty blond with many piercings and tattoos, rolled her eyes in irritation. "Only because Giselle broke my hairbrush the other day!" She turned to glare at Giselle. "Honestly, you hardly ever brush your hair, any way!"

"My hair doesn't get tangled! It's naturally sleek." Giselle gloated.

"Enough." Lara cut in. "The _real _problem is that you're both acting childish. Alice- you should always ask permission before using someone else's things. Giselle- you should be more gracious, learn to share, and be careful with others' belongings as well. And, Alice, we'll buy you a new hairbrush tomorrow. Now, both of you apologize to each other."

"Sorry..." Both girls grumbled to one another.

Lara smirked. "Now, go get into your uniforms. The reporters will be here any minute."

Both girls' expressions lit up and they turned to run back up the stairs, chattering excitedly. Lara laughed to herself and shook her head.

"Those two never quit, do they?" A dry voice mused from the doorway nearby.

Lara turned to smile at Meg, who was coming back from her daily hour in the training room. She wore tight black pants and a matching vest that left her stomach and the entirety of her arms and shoulders bare, revealing her intimidating sleeve tattoos and toned abdomen. She crossed her arms and stood with her combat-boot clad feet shoulder-width apart, tilting her head and sporting a characteristic smirk.

"They'll grow out of it eventually." Lara responded in amusement to her oldest pupil.

Meg shook her head, her thick ponytail bouncing and swaying as she walked toward the stairs. "I guess I'll go get ready..." She paused at the foot of the stairs to turn to Lara again. "Do I really have to wear that dorky uniform, though? I'm not technically a student any more."

Lara chuckled. "That's a good point... Wear what you like, just try to look nice. You have to wear the jacket, though. That crest is important."

"Right... But do I have to take out any of my piercings?" Meg scrunched up her nose to indicate her studded nostril. Aside from that, she also had one pierced eyebrow, two rings in her lower lip, and both earlobes with the entirety of one cartilage pierced. "I mean, the empty holes probably look worse, any way."

Lara playfully rolled her eyes. "I suppose as long as you wear your more tasteful rings, it's alright."

Meg grinned and shrugged, walking backward up the stairs. "Maybe seeing such a troubled youth as myself will gain us some sympathetic funding from the viewers." Her naturally sarcastic voice rang through the foyer as she turned to head onward to her room.

"We definitely don't need funding, my dear. But it's a nice thought." Lara winked. "Do me a favor and check on the others to be sure they're ready? Check on Triple A first. I haven't seen her all day."

Meg turned her head so Lara wouldn't see her roll her purple eyes and droned, "I'm sure Rosie's just daydreaming in her room. Or taking a nap. Or dancing to Britney Spears."

Lara smirked and started to walk away, calling back, "Just check, Meg."

"Sure." Meg muttered before disappearing upstairs.

Lara re-entered Zip's computer room and walked around behind his desk, leaning over his shoulder to look at the monitor screen. "Have they arrived yet?" She asked quietly.

Zip nodded and tapped a few keys, enlarging a video feed from the corner. Lara looked over the interior of the ship she'd sent two of her wards out on. "Just about. They're only a few miles from the drop point."

"Is the place a dead zone, or can we reach their communicators?"

"Sure. Just let me tap in..." He hit a few more keys, and the computer beeped. He grinned and called, "Hey, ladies! How's it going out there?"

There was a shuffling sound from the other end before a cheerful face appeared, her ocean-colored eyes sparkling and her crimson waves of hair billowing with the breeze.

"Hey, guys! We're doing good. The temple shouldn't be far from here..."

"Ariel got us a bit turned around, but we made it anyhow." Another voice said from off-camera.

The crimson-haired girl- Ariel- blushed and nervously giggled. "I guess everyone was right about Kida being the better driver... Er, sailor... Whatever."

Lara chuckled. "It's alright, Ariel." Her expression became serious and she asked, "You two haven't been followed, have you?"

Ariel shook her head. "There's no one else around for miles. Just us and the open sea."

Lara nodded, seeming pleased. "Good. Calm waters, I hope?"

Ariel grinned, obviously excited. "Perfect waters, actually. Ugh, I can't wait to dive in."

"I'm glad you're excited, Ariel. But remember, you both need to be careful. Tombs aren't playgrounds."

"Try telling that to anyone who sees the way we climb around in them!" Kida joked in the background, making them all laugh. Then, Kida appeared over Ariel's shoulder and continued, "We'll be careful, Lara. We're not exactly new to this, you know."

Lara nodded. "I know. But you can't blame me for worrying."

"We understand." Kida replied with an easy smile. "But I've got faith that this mission will go beautifully. It should be an easy pick-up."

"Yeah. The artifact is practically gift-wrapped for us." Ariel agreed.

Lara smirked. "Right. Just keep your wits about you, eh?"

"We'll remember our training and be home before midnight. Save some dinner for us." Kida grinned.

"Of course. And Snow's apple pie, as well." Lara laughed.

"Mm..." Ariel hummed happily. "Perfect."

Lara smiled. "Good luck, you two."

"Thanks, boss!" Ariel cheered.

"We'll keep in touch. Zip should be able to reach us at any time." Kida added.

"I'll keep an eye on you guys when I can. Hopefully these reporters won't keep me for long." Zip rolled his eyes up at the smirking Lara.

"Call to check in soon. We gotta get going." Kida said. "We haven't even put on our gear yet..." She walked away distractedly.

Zip nodded. "Just keep the lines of your communicators and PDA's open."

"Got it. See you guys in a bit!" Ariel waved adorably and beamed at them before stopping the transmission.

Lara smirked and shook her head, standing upright again. "Those two..." She sighed. "What did I do to earn such fantastic girls, Zip?"

"You just attracted like-minded young ladies, Lara."

The doorbell rang and they both looked out the glass wall to see Winston moving to answer it. Tiana, Cindy and Snow were gathering together in the foyer and a few of Lara's "students" were rushing down the stairs in old-fashioned school uniforms. Lara chuckled and patted Zip's shoulder before strolling out.

"Look alive! It's showtime." She grinned at him on her way out. She approached the girls, who were now mostly present, and had them stand in a line, shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the door. The staff stood in a similar fashion on either side of the group of girls.

"Am I late to the photo-op?" A man's deep voice boomed as it came down the stairs. Lara smirked up at Joshua Sweet, Tiana's older brother, as he joined them. Milo Thatch, Alister's incredibly suitable replacement, was accompanying him, looking very nervous.

"Just fall in line, dork!" Tiana called playfully.

Joshua laughed and clapped Milo on the shoulder, leading him to their spots.

"Everyone look happy and well-adjusted and properly nourished!" Lara cheered as she took her place in the center. "Remember, this is the first- and only- time that the press will have gotten to be in this house. It's supposedly a big deal, so let's make it count." She smirked and winked at them all while they giggled. She waited until Zip had run in to join them before nodding at Winston. "Let's open up, then."

Winston nodded back and slowly opened the doors. Croft Manor- now Lady Croft's Home for Girls- was immediately flooded with flashing camera lights and soft chatter.

_**Meanwhile...**_

"And we're absolutely sure that Lara's right about these coordinates?" Ariel asked Kida as she pulled her thick red hair up into a ponytail on the top of her head.

Kida playfully rolled her eyes as she stuck her pistols in their holsters on her hips. "Is Lara ever wrong?" She double-checked the ammo she had stocked in her small backpack before slinging the thing onto her shoulders. "Do you have everything?"

Ariel frowned a little as she nodded and secured her spear onto her back. "Yeah... But why do we need weapons? No one else is out here."

"Yeah, well, you'd be surprised how easily mercenaries might sneak up on you, according to Lara." Kida replied as she strapped one dagger to each thigh. She also had a set of throwing knives in her pack, Ariel had noticed. "Besides, it's not just people to worry about on missions. There's also the wildlife to look out for."

Ariel's eyes went wide. "We won't have to kill any more sharks, will we?"

Kida smirked and shrugged. "Not as long as they don't attack us." She walked away toward the back of the ship and began to put on her diving gear. Ariel pouted as she followed suit.

"Good to be home?" Kida asked just before putting her mask on.

Ariel grinned. "Definitely." She pulled on her own mask.

The two girls shared a look before they both dove into the sea, disappearing into the depths. Kida led the way, using the images Zip had sent to her PDA as a guide. Ariel did her best to follow and keep pace, but she really just wanted to explore the area for herself, for no other reason than that she was curious and wanted to have fun. But, she put these urges aside and continued to restlessly follow Kida, who was diving further and further down, nearly to the ocean floor. Beautiful schools of brightly-colored fish swam past the two divers, paying them no mind as they navigated the reefs and rock formations. Ariel couldn't help being distracted by watching the fish in wonder.

Kida came to a specific set of rocks and finally paused, looking it over carefully. Ariel floated nearby and waited as patiently as she could while Kida began to run her fingers over the rocks, feeling around for something. Eventually, Kida found what she was looking for: a small, hidden divot that had been carefully made in the underneath of one rock, specifically for the purpose of hiding something tiny. Kida reached one nimble hand into the small crevice and felt around inside until her fingers brushed against something metal. She eagerly grabbed the object and fished it out, examining it to be sure she had it right. Then, she turned to Ariel and opened her palm to reveal a small, rusty key sitting in her hand.

She swam over to Ariel and showed her a picture on her PDA: An image of an ancient and ornately designed lock, seemingly hidden in another rock. Ariel nodded in understanding and the two girls split up to look for the lock that the key would fit into; the lock that would open the temple they came searching for.

After looking around for about an hour and finding nothing in the rocks, they were both stumped. Ariel floated around in thought while Kida sat on a rock nearby, obviously irritated. Ariel looked around distractedly, wondering to herself if there was something they were missing. Her gaze eventually landed on a ray that was hovering on the sea floor, kicking up sand. Something metallic and foreign caught Ariel's eye and she squinted to see through the cloud of sand that the ray had created as it swept by. Ariel moved closer and her eyes widened in recognition as she spotted part of the engraved lock Kida had shown her. It wasn't hidden in the rocks; it just looked like that in the picture. Ariel dove down and swept more sand out of the way to reveal the rest of the old lock, and also unearthed part of the intricately-designed door that the lock was attached to. The door to the temple had literally been hidden right under their noses.

Ariel excitedly swam over to Kida and tugged on her arm, practically dragging her over to the lock. Kida went wide-eyed in amazement and gave Ariel a congratulatory pat on the back before fishing out the key and slowly approaching the door. Ariel hung back and eagerly watched as Kida carefully slid the key into the lock and turned it experimentally to the right.

Immediately, there was a loud click from inside the door and the sea floor began to rumble. Kida swam backward as the heavy doors to the temple began to groan and open inward, letting a ton of sand pour into the opening. A pale cloud of sand briefly hovered over the opened doorway, but it faded away to reveal the dark, cavernous opening to the flooded temple below.

Neither of the girls hesitated to dive into the temple and follow the long, twisting tunnel further inside. It was so dark that they had to turn on their personal light sources to see anything. As they swam, they couldn't help admiring all the ancient architecture and artwork that surrounded them. Kida was especially interested in the carved pictures and messages in the stone walls, and was careful to record as much as she could of them on her small camcorder.

Ariel kept growing inpatient and swimming ahead. Kida was a fantastic swimmer; that was why she and Ariel were always partners for the undersea expeditions. But, despite Kida's skill, she still couldn't quite match up to Ariel when it came to swimming. Ariel was the fastest swimmer on the team. She'd been swimming her whole life. She pretty much lived to swim. And she didn't like it when the others held her back when all she wanted to do was explore and find the treasure they were looking for. The art was nice and all, but she didn't care for it as much as the other girls did. It kind of bored her when she knew that there were much more exciting things to find up ahead.

Kida noticed Ariel practically racing away from her after a few minutes of documentation and quickly followed her, rolling her eyes to herself and still filming along the way. Honestly, Ariel could be such a child sometimes... Kida supposed it had to do with Ariel's ADHD, but, come on...

Kida caught up to Ariel fairly quickly and the two of them swam together until they reached the end of the tunnel, which opened up to a small room above them; an air pocket. They were getting closer to the actual temple. Kida climbed up onto the rocky ledge at the opening to the unflooded room, then reached down to help Ariel up after her. Kida couldn't help smirking to herself. Ariel may have been one hell of a swimmer, but hardly anyone could best Kida when it came to climbing. The only other girls on the team who matched her climbing skills were Pocahontas, Chel, Mulan and Giselle. And, even against all of them, Kida usually won their little climbing competitions in the training gym back at the manor.

Ariel and Kida both pulled off their masks and stashed their diving equipment behind a large rock nearby. Then they looked up at the opening above them, which seemed to lead to a completely dark room above. They both tried to see inside with their lights, but to no avail.

"You see anything?" Ariel asked.

Kida sighed. "Nope."

"Do you think it's actually the temple? Or some kind of trap right before the actual entrance?" Ariel asked nervously.

"Still not into the booby traps, huh?" Kida teased as she began to scale the wall, climbing easily up to the dark hole above.

"Believe it or not, some of us tomb raiders can have a thirst for adventure without having a death wish, as well." Ariel remarked defensively. It was true that traps and puzzles weren't exactly her thing; She had herself fooled into believing that she wasn't smart or quick-witted enough to get past them. That was why she always requested a partner who could handle them easily. Like Kida, who had some unexplainable understanding for ancient mechanisms seemingly engrained into her being. Kida could never really figure out how, but she was really good at getting past traps and solving ancient puzzles.

Kida chuckled and told her, "Well you wait down here, then. I'll figure it out." Kida hoisted herself up into the pitch-black room, temporarily leaving the pouting Ariel down below.

Kida stepped carefully around the room, using her light source as a guide. She avoided any suspicious spots or up-raised tiles or blocks in the floor, not wanting to trigger anything she couldn't see coming. She had to get light into this room somehow... She climbed up onto some high rocks to get a better view of the room, observing every nook and cranny for a clue or hint of what to do. She spotted a tall statue at the end of the room, and started to piece everything together as she headed toward it, cautiously navigating her way across the room.

She made it to the statue, and the first thing she noticed was a large, square opening in the bottom of it, like a hearth. If she could get a big enough fire started, it would light the whole room. Now, the only question was how to do that... She took a moment to think it over, then looked up to see a series of ledges and hand-holds jutting out of the wall nearby and leading up to the head of the statue. Kida smirked and jogged over, beginning her ascent. She climbed quickly but gracefully up the wall and then over to her right, drawing closer and closer to the top of the statue, where she could clearly see a large, flat ledge just waiting for her. Kida climbed over so that that ledge was directly behind her, then pushed off the wall and jumped backward, landing securely on the ledge. She grinned, proud of herself for successfully reaching the statue. And in record time, too.

Her moment of victory was interrupted when the supposedly sturdy ledge below her feet began to wobble and crumble. Kida began to panic before she spotted a metallic ring on the wall behind the statue, gleaming like a beacon in her light source. Kida quickly flung her magnetic grapple at the ring and connected to it just before the ledge gave out underneath her, and she was in free fall for a few seconds before the cord of her grapple jerked to a stop and Kida was left dangling in the air while the stone ledge crashed to the ground below and fell apart completely.

"Kida?! Are you alright?!" Ariel cried worriedly from where she was still waiting in the air pocket, having heard the crash.

"I'm fine!" Kida called back calmly as she swung toward the wall and began to scale it with her feet, pulling herself up with her grapple. "Not much longer!" She continued upward until she was behind the statue's head. She turned slightly to try and see what was behind her and smirked at the sight of a rusty old lever sitting on the back of the statue's head. "Beautiful." Kida pushed off of the wall and simultaneously released her grapple, leaping freely backward and grabbing onto the dusty lever. The lever creaked and began to fall under her weight, activating the hearth at the bottom. Fire flooded into the hearth and the room immediately filled with a warm, inviting glow, prompting Kida to turn off her light source. She heard Ariel cheer from her hiding place down below and grinned to herself as she carefully climbed down the statue and made her way back to the air pocket. As she walked back across the room, she realized that there were no traps here. The dark had just made her paranoid.

Kida spotted a metallic block sitting nearby and picked it up and carried over to the ledge above the air pocket. Ariel spotted her and tossed up her own grapple, which magnetically clung to the block in Kida's hands. Kida held on tight and walked slowly backward while Ariel climbed up the cord of her grapple to reach the room above.

With Ariel safely up, the two girls slowly approached the fireplace at the front of the room and looked everything over. Kida pulled out her camcorder and began recording all the carvings and paintings and statues while Ariel searched for the next door.

"Is this actually supposed to be the Cave of Wonders?" Ariel wondered aloud, obviously doubtful.

"Shows how much you listen." Kida teased her. "No. This temple holds the map that will lead to the Cave of Wonders." She continued to film.

"But that cave isn't real, right? I mean, it's supposed to be located on Treasure Island. And that's just a story." Ariel frowned as she examined a strange engraving on the wall opposite the one Kida was facing.

"Yes, but the map is supposed to lead us to that island. So, Treasure Island may not exist, but it must have been based off an actual place if there's a map leading us there." Kida replied reasonably.

"I wanna see this map before I believe any of that for one second." Ariel laughed, still distracted by the engraving that she was drawing nearer to. The closer she looked at it, the more it looked strangely like a button.

Kida laughed back at her, too focused on documenting to notice Ariel's curiosity. "You could stand to be a little more open-minded, little girl. And here I thought you were the imaginative one..."

Ariel didn't answer and she slowly reached up and pressed the button on the wall. The room immediately began to shake, nearly throwing the two girls off of their feet. Kida stowed her camcorder and looked around for a quick escape, for it seemed that the place might come down at any moment. Then, there was an odd metallic groan as the stone statue started to move, splitting in half down the middle and opening to reveal a lighted staircase beyond. Once it seemed safe to move, Kida and Ariel walked to meet each other in the middle of the room, both staring at the newly exposed staircase ahead. The two girls shared a smile before they began to jog down the winding stairs, lit by unnaturally-glowing torchlight and creating a surreal atmosphere. The girls figured it was meant to be foreboding, but they were both too caught up in the beauty to be scared. They stared around in awe as they bounded down the stone stairs as fast as they could, their excitement getting the better of them both.

They eventually came to the bottom of the steps and entered a dimly-lit, cavernous room with tall, grim stone statues set in the middle of each wall (aside from where the door was, obviously), all three of them glaring down at what sat in the center of the room: a rectangular altar of dark rock, with a pristine metallic orb sitting on top of it. Ariel and Kida cautiously approached the altar and stated down at the orb, observing the strange markings. Kida pulled out her camcorder yet again and filmed the orb, then the rest of the room, commenting aloud for the mic to hear her, "This artifact seems fairly out-of-place in this old stone temple... Everything else we've seen has been made from rock... Well, there have been a few other metal objects, but none so...advanced-looking as this one. Is this actually the map to 'Treasure Island'? If so, what is it doing here? And where did it come from? It doesn't look nearly ancient enough to belong here, and it definitely isn't of ancient Grecian descent, as we originally suspected..." Kida zoomed in on the orb one last time before putting her camcorder away, deep in thought.

Ariel looked warily up at all the angry statues. "They obviously don't want us to take it..." She turned to Kida with a devious expression. "What do you think will happen if we touch it?"

Kida opened her mouth to reply, but remained silent when she heard footsteps echoing from the stairs behind them. Both girls froze, then shared an annoyed look.

Kida smirked and answered, "Why don't we let them find out for us?"

Ariel nodded and the two of them split up, each hiding behind a statue on the opposite side of the room, where they could easily see anything that happened near the orb. They both remained silent as a group of four men and one woman came into the room with guns raised, taking aim and looking around for the two girls they'd followed here, probably hoping to kill them. When they saw no one, the mercenaries hesitantly lowered their weapons and stowed them as they slowly approached the orb in the middle of the room.

"Where did they go?" The woman, a tall and attractive blond, wondered aloud suspiciously as she continued to glance around for a glimpse of the girls.

"Who cares?" One of the men- an older, military-looking guy, supposedly the leader- gruffly remarked. He gestured toward the orb and grinned, nearly biting down on the cigar between his teeth. "Just look at what's ours for the taking." He snapped his fingers, signaling for one of the other men to go take the orb. A stern-faced young man nodded dutifully and stepped forward, reaching toward the orb on the altar. He placed one hand on it, and immediately froze in place.

"What's the matter, son?" The older man demanded in irritation.

"I... I can't move, sir!" The young man fearfully responded.

In an instant, the eyes of the three statues on each side of the room began to glow brightly, and then six rays of blinding, white-hot light shot toward the altar and incinerated the poor young man, who barely had a chance to scream before he was turned to ash. Kida and Ariel both had to press their hands over their mouths to stifle their gasps. The older man's jaw hung open, and his cigarette fell to the floor. The other two young mercenaries were both in absolute outraged shock. The blond woman's eyes bugged out of her head.

"Well, then..." The older man muttered, sighing.

"What the hell is this supposed to be, huh?" The younger of the two cronies left demanded angrily. "You made this mission sound like it would be easy! I'm not putting my life on the line for this bullshit!"

"Hawkins, watch yourself!" The older man barked. "Or I might send you to get the orb next. Just imagine how sad your poor mother would be. Or wait... She probably wouldn't care!"

The young man- Hawkins- started to charge forward in an attempt to attack the older man. But the other young mercenary, who was taller than Hawkins, but definitely not much older than him, with a shock of wavy black hair and bright blue eyes, stopped him. After murmuring something to calm Hawkins down, the black-haired young man turned to glare at their leader and stated, "You shouldn't talk about his mother like that, Rourke."

Rourke scoffed and replied, "Oh, what do you care, Waters? You're an orphan!"

"Commander." The blond woman cut in before another argument could start. "I don't think it's such a good idea to go after this thing ourselves. I mean, we're obviously out of our depth. We should call for backup. Amanda's still on the sub, and if there's someone who can handle this, it's her..."

Kida frowned to herself when she heard this. Amanda... Somehow; that name was really familiar... But not in a pleasant way.

"Don't lose your nerve, Sinclair. I won't let my squad look like a group of failures, and I won't let myself seem like an unreliable leader. Now all of you, stop trying to make me look bad, and do something with yourselves for once!" Rourke shouted.

The woman, Sinclair, just rolled her eyes peevishly and crossed her arms in disapproval of the Commander's stubbornness.

Hawkins shook his head. "No way, man. I'm not going near that damn thing. I'm not dying for you people."

"Well, since you're so intent on being such a coward, I _insist _that you go retrieve the orb for me!" Rourke replied belligerently. Then, he pulled out his gun and aimed at Hawkins' head. "And if you don't, I'll just execute you now, and go let your dear mommy know that you were useless to the bitter end before I put a bullet between her eyes!"

"For God's sake, Rourke, enough!" Waters shouted.

"And how do you suppose I take it?" Hawkins demanded of Rourke. "It's impossible to touch the thing without being disintegrated. I bet those two girls died the same way, and they were trained by Lara Croft!"

"Exactly!" Rourke snapped, waving the gun around wildly. "Do you see their ashes anywhere? Those brats are obviously still alive and lurking around. They're obviously waiting for us to take the orb so they can kill us and take it for themselves!" He turned to Sinclair and ordered, "Helga, look around. Find those two girls and kill them."

"Oh, no need for that." Kida said casually as she and Ariel stepped out from their hiding places with their guns drawn. All four of the mercenaries whipped out their own guns and trained them on the two girls as they walked over to stand on the opposite side of the altar as them.

"Four guns to two, girls." Rourke said smugly. "You liking those odds?"

"Loving 'em." Ariel replied with a smirk.

"Don't be dumb, ladies. How about we strike a deal? We'll all work together to get this orb, and then we'll be on our way with it, and you'll get a hefty reward for turning it over to us." He continued cockily.

"We're not dumb, actually. Which is exactly why we won't be taking that deal." Kida replied stoicly.

"We know we can't trust you as far as we could throw you." Ariel added. "You'll just kill us both once we get that orb for you. And any way, that's not how the Croft girls do business."

"We will be taking that orb, and it will be coming home with us. And if you get in our way, we will kill you." Kida finished, cocking her pistols for emphasis. Ariel followed suit.

"Well, maybe we'll just shoot you both now, then!" Rourke growled, preparing his own weapon. Hawkins and Waters were both obviously hesitant. Helga Sinclair just put her gun away, seeming to see the futility of the situation.

Helga leaned close to Rourke and whispered, "Commander, stop. Killing them won't help us."

"What?" He hissed.

"These girls obviously know something we don't. They're the only ones who can safely retrieve the orb. We should let them get it, and then we'll just take it from them. I mean, do we honestly believe that they could fight all four of us off?" Helga explained in a hushed tone.

Rourke shook his head and mumbled, "No, it's obviously a bluff..." He sighed and put his gun away, signaling the two younger men to do the same. "Alright... You girls think you've got this handled? Show us." He pointed at the orb and said, "Take it."

Kida and Ariel shared a look before tentatively putting away their own guns. Kida looked thoughtfully at the orb while Ariel looked around at their surroundings. She paced around their side of the room and looked over every marking for some kind of clue. She could feel a set of eyes on her back and turned shortly to glare at Waters, finding herself surprised by his unexpectedly soft expression and sad blue eyes. Ariel turned quickly away from him and shook off the exchange and continued to seem distracted by the markings on the walls.

"I'm getting impatient, girls." Rourke sighed.

"These things take time, _Commander._" Kida replied haughtily. "We're doing our best."

"Well, your best isn't good enough!" Rourke snapped.

"Well, I honestly think you don't deserve this artifact, since you're doing nothing to help." Kida placed her hands on her hips.

Rourke's fingers were twitching toward his pistol.

Ariel looked around quickly and noticed the markings from the walls continued to trail over the floor. She squinted at the sight of four identical indentations on her and Kida's side of the altar. She quickly peered over the altar to see only two of the indentations on the side where the mercenaries stood. Ariel grinned. The markings were useless, but Ariel was one to be appreciative of coincidence.

"I figured it out!" She cried excitedly.

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"Well?" Helga demanded.

"You four need to stand over here, and we need to be there." Ariel said, indicating what she meant by pointing. "We just need to switch sides of the altar."

"What? What's that going to do?" Rourke asked doubtfully.

"If we stand in exactly the right spots, then the statues won't incinerate whoever goes for the orb." Ariel answered confidently. Kida was catching on to Ariel's actual plan and nodding along with the phony theory.

"How can one person grab it without leaving where they're standing? That doesn't make sense." Helga crossed her arms and looked at Ariel suspiciously.

"Yeah... And why do you two get to stand closer to the exit?" Rourke added. "Why don't Helga and I stay over here, and our two young partners join you over there?"

"We're not splitting teams, or this isn't happening." Ariel said stubbornly. "Now, do you want a chance to steal this orb from us, or not?"

Helga and the Commander shared aggravated looks before Helga sighed and nodded. Rourke looked thoroughly displeased as he told Ariel, "Alright, fine."

Ariel nodded. "Everyone move to your left."

They all circled around to their left of the altar, moving in a clockwise formation until they stood on opposite sides from before and faced the orb.

"Now, everyone stand on one of those marks in the floor." Ariel nodded toward the mercenaries' feet while she and Kida each stepped onto a mark of their own. The four mercenaries cautiously stepped into their own places. They waited to see any change in the room, but there was nothing.

Rourke rolled his eyes. "Okay... What now?"

Ariel smirked and quickly reached down to her belt, putting them all on edge. Then, she tossed her grapple toward the orb, easily connecting to it and yanking it off of the altar. As the orb sailed toward her, Ariel caught it in both of her hands. The temple began to rumble and shake as if on cue.

The four mercenaries pulled out their guns immediately and aimed at Ariel.

"Alright, hand it over." Rourke commanded.

Ariel shared a look with Kida. Then, Kida moved with an almost unnatural speed, pulling out a few of her throwing knives and flinging them toward the mercenaries with terrifying precision. One knife pierced Rourke's hand, forcing him to drop his gun. Another sliced Helga's cheek, catching her by surprise and sending her stumbling back. The third plunged itself into Hawkins' leg, making him collapse. But Waters dove to the side in time to dodge the last knife. Kida pulled out another knife while Ariel shoved the orb into her pack. Kida aimed and prepared to throw the knife, but the shaking of the temple became more violent, and the sound of rock splitting was unmistakable. Kida looked up to see the statues in the room coming off the walls and falling toward the center of the room, effectively trapping the enemies. Kida grabbed Ariel by the arm and they both started running up the stairs.

Waters noticed Hawkins pinned under one of the statues and began to run to his aid, but Helga jumped into his path and shoved him away.

"We'll help Jim! You get that orb!" She ordered.

Waters opened his mouth to argue, but saw Rourke already working to free Jim Hawkins. Realizing that he had no other choice but to trust them, Waters glared at Helga before turning away to run after the two girls.

"Meet us at the boat, Eric!" Helga called after him. She watched him disappear up the stairs before moving to assist Rourke and Jim.

Ariel and Kida sprinted up the winding staircase so quickly that everything passed them in a blur. The lanterns lighting the corridor were snuffed as the temple continued to fall apart around them. They saw the light fade in the large room up ahead just before they reached it, and automatically turned on their light sources to see as they raced toward the opening in the floor.

Out of nowhere, the black-haired mercenary who'd made it out unscathed tackled Ariel to the ground. Ariel turned over and thrust up one hand to hit his throat with the heel of her palm, knocking him off of her and to the side. She scrambled away, and Kida unsheathed her daggers from her thighs and leapt at Eric, repeatedly kicking him when he attempted to stand and keeping him trapped on the ground.

"Kida, he's down! Let's just go!" Ariel called, motioning toward the exit.

Kida didn't seem to hear as she crouched over Eric and prepared to plunge a dagger into his chest. Suddenly, she was lifted off of him and tossed to the side. She reflexively somersaulted and landed in a defensive crouch, practically snarling up at Helga, who'd thrown her. Helga shouted angrily and started to bear down on Kida with a series of acrobatic kicks and punches, which Kida did well to defend herself from. As both women were flipping around in the air to attack each other, Ariel spotted Rourke coming in with Jim hanging at his side weakly. Ariel bit her lip, not knowing what to do. She knew she had to get the orb out of here and away from these people, and the temple was going to cave in at any minute. But she couldn't just leave Kida...

Ariel turned just in time to see Eric storming toward her and instinctively cartwheeled backward to avoid his attack. She continually evaded him as he chased her around without making any real attempt to grab or hit her. He seemed hesitant to attack her straight-out. After a moment of running away from him, Ariel rolled her eyes and made a sudden turn to throw her foot up into his chest. He flew backward, but managed to get his feet back underneath him and slid to a stop, throwing up his arms to block the next few hits Ariel threw at him.

"Believe it or not-" Eric grunted as Ariel continued to wail on him. "-I don't want to fight you! Just give me the orb!"

"There's no way I'm handing over such an important artifact to people like you!" Ariel cried as a he launched at him with a flip-kick, knocking him on his back. She pulled her hunting spear off of her back and pointed it at his throat to keep him down. "Lara must have known that mercenaries would be coming for the orb, or she probably wouldn't have sent us to claim it!"

"You don't understand! I-" Eric tried to reason with her.

He was cut off when Rourke suddenly stepped up and hit Ariel over the head with his pistol, knocking her senseless. Ariel dropped her spear and fell to her kneels, crumpling in pain. Rourke reached down and tore her backpack away from her, opening it and fishing out the orb. He grinned as he examined it, then tossed her pack aside and started to walk toward the exit, where Helga held Kida subdued at gunpoint.

Eric struggled to his feet and turned to see Jim close to passing out. He called to Rourke, "What about Hawkins?!"

"You carry him!" Rourke called back dismissively before jumping into the pit at the end of the room. Helga threw Kida to the side and jumped down after him. They stood briefly together on the ledge by the water, getting their diving gear on. Then they dove into the water without waiting for Eric or Jim.

Eric lifted Jim up onto his shoulder and carried him toward the air pocket. As he passed Ariel, who was trying to drag herself up off the ground, he noticed the hateful look on her face as she watched him. Eric ducked his head to hide his guilt from her as he dropped down onto the ledge below. He quickly pulled on his diving gear, then helped Jim put on his and instructed him to keep pressure on his wound. With that, Eric lifted Jim up again and they disappeared into the water.

Ariel groaned as she climbed to her feet, the quaking room spinning and tilting around her and bright spots dancing before her eyes. She clumsily walked over to Kida and helped her up.

"Kida... We have to get out of here. The place is coming down..." Ariel told her.

"We have to follow those bastards... They got the orb!" Kida growled and led Ariel to the air pocket.

"Let's go, then!" Ariel replied and they both hopped down to the ledge and hurried to put on their gear. Kida dove into water first, while Ariel moved more sluggishly. She practically fell into the water after Kida and struggled to follow her through the tunnel. They got a few yards ahead before the temple completely collapsed, debris falling into the air pocket and effectively blocking the end of the tunnel.

After what felt like eternity, Kida and Ariel broke the surface and made it to their boat. Kida grunted angrily as she climbed onto the boat and stormed toward the console to check their radar.

"Did you see a sub anywhere?" Kida called over her shoulder as Ariel pulled herself up onto the boat and nearly collapsed.

Ariel moaned. "N-no..."

Kida angrily shouted and banged on the console with both fists. "They've gotten away! Practically vanished! What kind of tech do they have on their side?" She snarled and stalked over to the computer, starting a video call to reach Zip. Ariel fell over into a chair behind her, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

There was a cheery beeping sound as Zip answered the call. At first he was smiling, but once he saw the look on Kida's face, and the shape that both girls were in, his expression fell into concern.

"What happened? Are you guys alright?" He demanded.

Kida sighed angrily. "We're both pretty banged up."

"I think I have a concussion..." Ariel mumbled, raising a hand.

"And we lost the artifact." Kida added.

"What? How?!" Zip cried.

"Mercenaries." Kida growled.

"Remember earlier, when we said no one had followed us? I guess we didn't really take submarines into account..." Ariel scrunched up her face in a mixture of unpleasant feelings.

"They cornered us in the temple, attacked us. And took the orb; the map to Treasure Island. They have it." Kida finished.

"Did you get any names? I can search the bastards up right now." Zip said in determination.

"Is Lara there? She should be here for this. I want to tell her the whole story." Kida said.

"She's finishing up with some reporters. Hold on, I'll go get her." Zip stood up and left.

Kida sighed and went to the front of the boat, setting coordinates for the rendezvous point to get back home and also sending a request for medical assistance on their plane. As the auto-pilot started to take the ship forward, Kida sat next to Ariel and set a pillow under her head.

"It's a long way home, partner. And you have to stay awake the whole time." Kida smirked a little to hide her irritation at failing the mission. "Start by telling me your full name."

_**That Night...**_

Esmeralda, Mulan and Pocahontas were all giggling quietly as they snuck into the kitchen to snag extra pieces of the apple pie. They were surprised to find Lara sitting with Ariel and Kida, since it was now two in the morning. The three girls faltered slightly and looked embarrassed as Lara smirked at them.

"Feel free to help yourselves, girls. This conversation isn't private." Lara chuckled and nodded toward the fridge. Mulan, Pocahontas and Esmeralda all grinned and practically ran to where the pie was being kept. Lara shook her head in amusement before turning more somberly back to Ariel and Kida to say, "Zip's so sorry about not being able to reach you girls in the temple. But he ran the names you gave us earlier. Even though you didn't get Rourke's first name, his identity was easy to gather. Lyle Rourke, former Commander of the U.S. army, seems to have turned mercenary, along with his faithful Leutenant, Helga Sinclair. Now, she's a real nasty customer... As for the other two, there's no real intel. No military history, no past criminal activity. They were both just two average young men who somehow found themselves tangled up with these awful people... Possibly through blackmail. Can't be sure."

"Did you know they were coming for the map?" Ariel asked as she kept an ice pack pressed to her injured skull.

Lara nodded. "I heard rumors surrounding the location of this supposed map, and knew that there would be people like this going after it. I thought I'd sent you girls early on enough to beat them to it, but..." She paused to sigh. "This is my own fault. But now, I'm afraid we must move quickly to secure the next artifact before they can reach it."

"Any idea who they're working for?" Ariel asked.

Lara shook her head. "None. We haven't picked up on any name yet."

"They mentioned someone who was waiting for them on the sub... The name was... Amanda." Kida recalled.

"Yeah, I remember that, too..." Ariel nodded as Lara's face fell.

"Are you sure that's the name you heard?" Lara asked gravely.

Both girls nodded. Kida said, "Definitely."

Lara hung her head briefly and sighed. "So, we're back at this again..." She looked back up at the girls with a stern expression. "There's no time to waste, then. I've already done extensive research, and I think I've found the resting places of the next two artifacts... Having a map to Treasure Island is all well and fine, but they won't actually get anywhere without the key to open the Cave of Wonders."

Ariel's eyebrows shot up. "You know where the key is?"

"The two halves of it...yes." Lara said cheekily.

Kida nodded solemnly. "Where to, then?"

"Not you girls. You've had your fill of danger for now, I think. However..." Lara turned to the cluster of girls who were listening in from the fridge. "Esmeralda? When was the last time you and Jasmine went out?"

Esmeralda thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "A few months, I think."

Lara tisked in disapproval. "That's an awfully long time to be cooped up in this old place... Pack your bags. You and Jasmine will be heading to Arabia."

Esmeralda grinned. "Oh, Jazz is gonna love this."

"Can I go with them? _Please? _" Mulan begged.

"Me, too!" Pocahontas chimed in.

"No. Because you'll both be accompanying Merida to her homeland while Esmeralda and Jasmine are busy in the desert." Lara smirked.

Esmeralda gasped dramatically, then turned to mock-glare at her giggling friends. Lara couldn't help chuckling.


End file.
